johnston



(No Model.)

W. F, vJOHNSTQN.i

APPARATUS POR PROPELLING TORPEDOES.

No. 254,021. Patented Peb.. 21.1882.,

Innen/02e 73,7375 urFe/ns om UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WlLLBUR ILJOHNSTON, OF CLIFTON. NEW YORK.

APPARATUS` FOR PRO PELLING TORPEDOES.

SPECIFICATION 'forming' part of Letters Patent`lNo. 254,021, dated February $21l 1882.

Application tiled August 0, 188|. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

' Beit known that I, Wl-Ltnnu F. JouNs'roN, of mitteln-,Staten Island, in the State ot' New yYork, have invented certain new and use'ful 5 '[mprovementsin thehlcthod ot' and Apparatus for Iropelling 'lorpedoesfand t'or other Iurkind ot' apparatus, which when in usc is sub `merged wholly, or almost wholly, is to furnish the heatto enable the gasto expand sufficiently to maintain the proper px essure. In some cases agent a combustible; but. as the chamber in which the combustible is contained is necessarily closed tight in some' Way against the entrance of water, it is difficult to obtain the requisite supply of' oxygen to maintain oombastion. Compressed air has been suggested `in this connection as a supporter ot' combustion, but it is impracticable to store` enough of this within thc limits of the torpedo to suf ce Vfor tliepurposc. It has also been suggested to obtain the heat by means of the absorption of ammonia by a body of water surrounding `the iluidcontaining receptacle, and other Vmeans for the same purpose have also been 35 suggested, all ot them, however, being open 'to objection, either because they fail to supply the requisite heat or require too complicated, bulky, and expensive machinery or apparatus.

I have devised av method of 'obtaining maintaining Mthe requisite heat which isentirely simple and effective. It consists in supi porting combustion in the combustioncharm' ber of the apparatus by means of aliquciiable combustion-supporting gas,compressed to the extent of l'lquefaction in a suitable receiver,

and discharged in gaseous form therefrom under pressure into the combustion-chamber, so as to have contact with the ignited combustible therein'. In this way I am enabled to store qo in small compass allI the gas `needed to proit hasl been proposed to employ as the heating andY mote and' sustain proper combustion during the entire run of the torpedo, e'vcn should it be necessary for it to return to the startingpoin-t,the full propcllingpower being kept up during the whole run.

The gas" which I in practice use is nitrous oxide gas, which at 320 Fahrenheit liquefies at pressure of fifty atmospheres, and at about '150 Fahrenheit gives a pressure ol about one f thousand pounds to the square inch. It 1s most effective as a supporter of combustion, and when liquefied has but little bulk. It"is also admirably ,adapted to serve as a motoriluid, so that I can use it 'for a twofold pur pose-viz., bothto drive the propcllingiengine and to support combustion in the heating'apparatus.

The preferred form of apparatus whichIemploy ill-carrying out my invention consists of a combustion-chamber containing 'carbon or other combustible matte'r an l`a\'essel :ontain-- ing liquefied nitrous-oxide gas, which co1nmuni cates withv said combustionchamber by means of a valve'orcock controlled pipe,through which the gas in determinate quantity isfpermitted at the proper time to`pa`ss from the receptaL cle into the chamber, s o as to have contact with the ignited carbon orv other combustible matter therein, the highly-heated gases evolved in the combustion-chamber being in whole or in part carried ed through a suitable pipe'or conduit which is conducted around or through the reservoir ortank containing the compressedmotor-fluid, so as to heat the same to such a degree as to cause it to exert the'proper pressure.

In using the nitrous-oxide gasfootn as motor-V. fluid and as a supporter of combustion, I emj ploy a portion only ot' the evolved gases to heat the liquefied gas, and from the combustionl chamber I conduct directly to vthe'engine the 'main portion of the gases therein evolved, to

represents in diagrammatic sectional sideelevation an apparatus embodying the several fea- IOO .T litVAILABLH comr e l "emmenv tunes ofmyinventioiif'lhe dottedlines ei'onn f At g*,I javcfindioeteile'enialinnmzeiiiclif tine/ apparatus indica-t /theexternal cesef'oris to bevv actuated from the propeliezi-eiiaft'oit'.v Shell ofthe torpedo.A 'if ove not deemed it necmain ehaftof the engine,' and servestoiinect 'eesalfyto represent the engine andthe vpn-ione water andfoil in-pnoperqentiiy-into 4he moiorlyo- "5 other parte which )gioie make up the torpedo. gas-pipe h. By this means l; not only cool the' The pparatns' represcntedin the-dr'awing gas enough to vprew'fent it'vfroni-'bijningiithe is one embracing such partei-es are needed parts of tl1 eei 1,gfn,el butI-inbrioateftii'e engine,l when Vthe nitroue'oxide gas is' used both as.'mo`-" .and et the same time increase the powenbytlie '.tor-iiuid end -to support combustion, additionjo'f the stea'n; into which"ihe imected 7' io #Aie the? closeigypeseel oryreceptacig mede water'ie'oonveiite f "usually of "st eel' on wrong -ii-on, which con-x At j, in chamber-B, isnsore-eniieeigned tg.. teins 'the liqueed nitlfonejo-xide gos, the leyelfof" preventlclxazfcoal from *being blown/M til-egos theliquid beingindiceitezifby-tliellotteclline i.' iiito'theiiipe h'. '-7 1f B'is'the comliustol-chnnhe conti'ning'thc'- Ass'mning'-the cylinlierAanflil'bf tof '8o r5-fuel,fwhiciy nsnally/isy eornef'foxfm4 of rbon, bel'iroperly-clmged, thc mode'of operati nl i'ef.

preferably charcoal, 'Qwingto'theint; Ase/ieot jas follows: A' vaiveorcock, o,.on1gpeetwhich? generotedin 'this clm'mlien-Ltfelio lljliefpro servegtozpreventali leokegejwhen thelio'eitief; teetedfin some wayi; ,-I 1oi1 ide it r t'bis pur 'notgiuue, isj stopened-.- Ehe boetfis :teen -poeenwith/o pefreotoyy lining or. with a'iviiterbroughtintoiposition, endet file wsd-(ultimatiy 8:5' 2ojeoket, -og'fwith both.' vinai'ulftfhe vlyeat d ig opened endet the seme- From the upper p'r't etheliquelletl-ges restimee friotionp 1'imogf1 eignited at @,iprefe'i'fabiy ervoir Alead'se eniallfpfpo, c, i nto ih e con1 by the siamemeehanieal device that @one the?V bastion-chamber; Y-vjelve atti. I-mit liest-' to'let thefrctioni. In order tolguordf aganetgn-ny injurious of primer igniteel elow'fipetohoi cotton or' cotton 96 2 5 clogging-action. ine to the 'colduslielly-pro--- cloth setn'mted 'withecetete o i'ieeci and glried. 4denied et the point whe time gas expands, I The time started, ,at e ge'xtendmover tliewloelej pleee-diiectiyon top'oft 'e'ohi'miii'eirl3e i"a iirer -section of thecixiibon wherethegae entete enti chest, d, containing a/sldealvefpreferably' "es it eoiienmee .berne everything before it te? immortali, Whiolteentroleile 'opening into the ward' the opgelet-pipe hg A. iiie promote of oomf ge 3d chamber and'receiiesjlxeiit fiyam `th liighiy. lbastion, tin this ooeoj oerbfoeio aei'd intimiteit nu heated @hell 'of the chamber., 1f desired,;.this gen )increased one-thii'din volume bytheehemf' elieetmay beenrrpnnledliyo batlioffmercury, ,-'id'l/jectiongand, iigein expendedivery.. mneh y whiehwiiletilifuntheif gather heetfromfthe; '@orejbyptheiigh jtempemtixiwpasepery' chamber. 'through the pipej; supplyingiieat tothe lie',-

35 Chamber B lie provided with' an opening, e, uid gaeinlA5 endpertly throeghii-direetly-to When the'cerbon is ignited by frietonl'iifimer fthe-pipek. ihepnmpg'f 'putin'operetion x65 4o"or' ap the opening-should be coveted' by e 'eoon'es the boatetarted'enfhasagein iii-- fstumnglioxs through-which passes-the aci-.netv .creased theyollimeof. tiiegaeee paseingto' 'e ing-rod, aetion beingjnthis ease/siinliitaneoue enginel'xy forming a large-amount of st ean'ie withthe opening m ove|i1ent of the vaiye-inj the pipeh. The 'gals which pseeethr'eugh pipe- 4waive-obesi: d. fiieatethefliqneiietigeeini tolthe requisite no 45 Fromthelowerperiof thecolnbnstion cham? 'degiem end thefletteeoentinuousiy passes ini ber o'g-boxleads a-Dipf, 1 @Meses thiougii` de n qeentityand et the deeire p1 e the lower part of the gars eylinde'ror reecrvor. 'nre-into-thechambeif-B,Whereit supporte 'coim- Ay end through the pipepassee--heated. geeie" buetion.,fnniting with the elemente-theiveity *c seient rquentity to fuzfnishj the amount Aof "evoli'io, forma motor-nid,' bien 'iseu'p, .x :5 5e heet neeeejl-tevevapoiotetlieiique gas. Ey :pli to theengine. In this wey the eieite increasing" the number of'pipes any desired 'pxjeesnreand-powerare-meineesitiiroughont' preseurefcan be meinteinefn 'theoyli'dei- A. the rnnxoi the. torpedo,-so that greet 'speed-cen.'- 'Ehe pipeefteepaseing. throughthe gaseyiiaeaecnred.- f, i inder, can extendto the outside ofz-the torpedo`l The ohamber'B can' be leoate'clet 'either end'. izo 55 end open into the water, ee indicated in full of the cylinder A. '.Wlien 'place'din frontof "lmesor it may,'as 'indicated in dottec i .line`s, the latter it will be in prpxlmtyto the eherge' lead tack intojthe main discharge-pipe h, (a'nof'expiosive materialcmfriedin the howofthe swermg tothesteam-pipeof 'an ordinary steamtorpedo; bu'ttlie chargeoan readily@ be pro engine which leads the motoriiuidvfomthe teoted from the -heatof the chamber, so that x25 6o chamber-B to the' .propelling-engine. In the there will be no danger of explosion from th'ie latter case it should preferably,' in returning, causo. v

poss outside of the boat or shellof the torpedo While I prefer to use the combustion-chem# .luto the Water, so that the gases passing ben-as a part of the conduit by which the 'fmo- I through it may be cooled down enough topretor-fluid is 'conveyed from the reservoir A to' 65 v ezit them from burning the packing of theenthe engine, yet it may be desirable nneis'eme FII the pipec would discharge into the combustion-chamber only the amountl of gas neededy to support combustion, while from the dome of the reservoir a.separate'pipe, iivhieh mightk 1. The method of limint'auiningr the co'inbustion of theVV fuel ielnplydtiiheatV tha-lique-` ed gas used as a niotliiid on submerged torpedoes, `which consistst supplying Vthe chamber corl'ltainingA the i k c 1nf m ed combu tibl with Itras drawirfrom a. rcseryoir,containingar liquefiedgas-As'felr. as nitrousq-oxide is y 2. The inroyizift in the artbfprqdhiug amotor-iluidfoiisubm r`ged torpedo?" purposes, which con iln conduct'ii fiable gassuch as'in trous-oxide ga a su p porte of combustion, oiiiits way f l stantially as and for the purposes hercinbefore 35 set forth.

varied without departure from l 3. The',method"flincreasing the volume of Athe ruoto'nfllirigl by injecting water, or water and'oihint thggas alielritjis heated and before it passes into'the engine,substantially as and for thelpurposels hereinbel'ore setforth.

4. The combiiiationof reservoir contai nin g `a liquefied',gas-suh as nit-ronsxide gas- 'which is a'supporterof combustion, afeonibus tionchamber containing.,lr jearbon or'flirasuitable fuel, a'nd pipes or conxiections,'-snbsitan;v tially as described, whereby the products-ofcombustion from vthe chamber are caused to heat theliquefied gas in the reservoir, anfcllfthe gas from said reservoir is conducted bothto the chamber to senyeas a supporter of colubustionand to the engine to serve as a motor- Huid, substantially as hereinbefore set forth." 5. The method of obtaining n motorud for` l driving the engines of submerged torpedoes and for similar'purposes, consisting in acting upon ignited carbon or other fuel with a compressed liqueable com bnstion-su pportin g gas," ,which inites with the'combustible to form a highly-heated gaseous motor-Huid, substantigillyas and for the purposes hereinbef'oro set.

x my hand this 29th day-of July, A..D. 1881.

WILLBUR. F. .LoHNs'rou Witnesses:

E. A. DICK, N. (l. LANE. 

